historical timeline of important us political parties final...
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HistoricalTimelineofImportantPoliticalPartiesintheUnitedStates
1789-FederalistParty
TheFederalistParty,referredtoasthePro-Administrationpartyuntilthe3rdUnitedStatesCongress,wasthefirstAmericanpoliticalparty.Itexistedfrom1789to1820.Itappealedtobusinessandtoconservativeswhofavoredbanks,nationaloverstategovernment,manufacturing,and(inworldaffairs)preferredBritainandopposedtheFrenchRevolution.
TheFederalistscalledforastrongnationalgovernmentthatpromotedeconomicgrowthandfosteredfriendlyrelationshipswithGreatBritainaswellasoppositionto
revolutionaryFrance.Thepartycontrolledthefederalgovernmentuntil1801,whenitwasoverwhelmedbytheDemocratic-RepublicanoppositionledbyThomasJefferson.1792-Democratic-RepublicanParty
TheDemocratic-RepublicanPartywasanAmericanpoliticalpartyformedbyThomasJeffersonandJamesMadisonaround1792toopposethecentralizingpoliciesofthenewFederalistPartyrunbyAlexanderHamilton,whowassecretaryofthetreasuryandchiefarchitectofGeorgeWashington'sadministration.From1801to1825,thenewpartycontrolledthepresidencyandCongressaswellasmoststatesduringtheFirstPartySystem.Itbeganin1791asonefactioninCongressandincludedmanypoliticianswhohadbeenopposedtothenewconstitution.Theycalledthemselves"Republicans"aftertheirideology,
republicanism.Theydistrusted theFederalistcommitmentto republicanism.1828–DemocraticParty
TheDemocraticPartyisoneofthetwomajorcontemporarypoliticalpartiesintheUnitedStates,alongwiththeRepublicanParty.TracingitsheritagebacktoThomasJeffersonandJamesMadison'sDemocratic-RepublicanParty,themodern-dayDemocraticPartywasfoundedaround1828bysupportersofAndrewJackson,makingit theworld's oldestactivepoliticalparty.TheDemocrats'dominantworldviewwasoncesocial
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conservatismandeconomicliberalismwhilepopulismwasitsleadingcharacteristicintheruralSouth.In1912,TheodoreRooseveltranasathird-partycandidateintheProgressive"BullMoose"Party,leadingtoaswitchofpoliticalplatformsbetweentheDemocraticandRepublicanPartyandWoodrowWilsonbeingelectedasthefirstfiscallyprogressiveDemocrat.SinceFranklinD.RooseveltandhisNewDealcoalitioninthe1930s,theDemocraticPartyhasalsopromotedasocialliberalplatform,supportingsocialjustice.1830–WhigParty
TheWhigPartywasapoliticalpartyactiveinthemiddleofthe19thcenturyintheUnitedStates.FourU.S.Presidentsbelongedtothepartywhileinoffice.Itemergedinthe1830sastheleadingopponentoftheJacksonians.IthadlinkstotheupscaletraditionsoftheFederalistParty.AlongwiththerivalDemocraticParty,itwascentraltotheSecondPartySystemfromtheearly1840stothemid-1860s.Formedinoppositiontothe
policiesofPresidentAndrewJackson,theWhigssupportedthesupremacyoftheUnitedStatesCongressoverthepresidencyandfavoredaprogramofmodernization,bankingandeconomicprotectionismtostimulatemanufacturing.1848–FreeSoilParty
TheFreeSoilPartywasashort-livedpoliticalpartyintheUnitedStatesactiveinthe1848and1852presidentialelectionsaswellasinsomestateelections.Asingle-issueparty,itsmainpurposewastoopposetheexpansionofslaveryintotheWesternterritories,arguingthatfreemenonfreesoilconstitutedamorallyandeconomicallysuperiorsystemtoslavery.ItalsosometimesworkedtoremoveexistinglawsthatdiscriminatedagainstfreedAfricanAmericansin statessuchasOhio.
ThepartyoriginatedinNewYorkafterthestateDemocraticconventionrefusedtoendorsetheWilmotProviso,aproposedlawthatwouldhavebannedslaveryinanyterritoryacquiredfromMexicointheMexican–American
War.
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1854–RepublicanPartyTheRepublicanParty,alsoreferredtoastheGOP(abbreviationforGrandOldParty),isoneofthetwomajorpoliticalpartiesintheUnitedStates,theotherbeingitshistoricrival,theDemocraticParty.Thepartyisnamedafterrepublicanism,amajorideologyoftheAmericanRevolution.TheRepublicanslargelydominatedpoliticsnationallyandinthemajorityofnorthernstatesbetween1860 and1932.FoundedintheNorthernstatesin1854byanti-slaveryactivists,modernizers,ex-Whigsandex-FreeSoilers,theRepublicanPartyquicklybecametheprincipaloppositiontothedominantDemocraticPartyandthebrieflypopularKnowNothingParty.ThemaincausewasoppositiontotheKansas–NebraskaAct,whichrepealedtheMissouriCompromisebywhichslaverywaskeptoutofKansas.TheNorthernRepublicanssaw
theexpansionofslaveryasagreatevil.1869–ProhibitionParty
TheProhibitionParty,foundedin1869,succeededingettingcommunitiesandmanycountiesinthestatestooutlawtheproductionandsaleofintoxicatingbeverages.Itsproudestmomentcamein1919,withthepassageofthe18thAmendmenttotheUnitedStatesConstitution,whichoutlawedtheproduction,sale,transportation,importandexportofalcohol.
TheeraduringwhichalcoholwasillegalintheUnitedStatesisknownas"Prohibition".WhileitdeclineddramaticallyaftertherepealofProhibitionin1933,itisstillfunctioningtodayandistheoldestexistingthirdpartyintheUS.Theparty'scandidatereceived518votesinthe2012presidentialelectionand5,617votesinthe2016presidentialelection.1901–SocialistParty
TheSocialistPartyofAmerica(SPA)wasamulti-tendencydemocraticsocialistandsocialdemocraticpoliticalpartyintheUnitedStatesformedin1901byamergerbetweenthethree-year-oldSocialDemocraticPartyofAmericaanddisaffectedelementsoftheSocialistLaborPartyofAmericawhichhadsplitfromthemainorganizationin1899.
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Inthefirstdecadesofthe20thcentury,itdrewsignificantsupportfrommanydifferentgroups,includingtradeunionists,progressivesocialreformers,populistfarmersandimmigrants.However,itrefusedtoformcoalitionswithotherparties,oreventoallowitsmemberstovoteforotherparties.Itscandidate,EugeneV.Debs,twicewonover900,000votesinpresidentialelections(1912and1920).1912-ProgressiveParty
TheProgressivePartywasathirdpartyintheUnitedStatesformedin1912byformerPresidentTheodoreRooseveltafterhelostthepresidentialnominationoftheRepublicanPartytohisformerprotégé,incumbentPresidentWilliamHowardTaft.Thenewpartywasknownfortakingadvancedpositionsonprogressivereformsandattractingsome
leadingreformers.Aftertheparty'sdefeatinthe1912presidentialelection,itwentintorapiddecline,disappearingby1918.TheProgressivePartywaspopularlynicknamedthe"BullMooseParty"sinceRooseveltoftensaidthathefelt"strongasabullmoose"bothbeforeandafteran assassinationattemptonthecampaigntrail.1919–CommunistParty
TheCommunistPartyUSAisacommunistpartyintheUnitedStates,establishedin1919,afterasplitintheSocialistPartyofAmerica. TheCPUSAhasalong,complexhistorythatiscloselytiedwiththeAmericanlabormovementandthehistoriesofcommunistpartiesworldwide.ThepartywasinfluentialinAmericanpoliticsinthefirsthalfofthe20thcenturyandplayedaprominentroleinthelabormovementfromthe1920sthroughthe1940s,becomingknownforopposingracismandracialsegregation.Its membershipincreasedduringtheGreatDepression,buttheCPUSAsubsequentlydeclinedduetoeventssuchasthesecondRedScareandthe
influenceofMcCarthyismwhileitssupportfortheSovietUnionincreasinglyalienateditfromtherestoftheleftintheUnitedStatesinthe1960s.
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1936–AmericanLaborParty
TheAmericanLaborParty(ALP)wasapoliticalpartyintheUnitedStatesestablishedin1936whichwasactivealmostexclusivelyinthestateofNewYork.TheorganizationwasfoundedbylaborleadersandformermembersoftheSocialistPartyofAmericawhohadestablishedthemselvesastheSocialDemocraticFederation(SDF).ThepartywasintendedtoparalleltheroleoftheBritishLabourParty,servingasanumbrellaorganizationtouniteNewYorksocialdemocratsoftheSDFwithtradeunionistswhowouldotherwisesupportcandidatesoftheRepublicanandDemocraticparties.
1944–LiberalPartyofNewYork
TheLiberalPartyofNewYorkisanAmericanpoliticalpartythathasbeenactiveonlyinthestateofNewYork.Itsplatformsupportsasetofsociallyliberalpoliciesincludingtherighttochooseonabortion,educationreform,anduniversalhealthcare.Duringthe1940’sand1950’stheLiberalPartypioneeredlocalandnational
legislationsuchastheG.I.BillofRights,rentcontrolinNewYorkCity,andconsumerprotectionlaws,amongothers.Duringthe1960’stheLiberalPartychampionedtheCivilRightsActandinitiatedasuitintheU.S.SupremeCourtforCongressionalReapportionmentthatresultedintheelectionofShirleyChisholm,thenation’sfirstAfrican-Americancongresswoman.1966-BlackPantherParty
TheBlackPantherPartywasananti-racistleftistpartyfoundedbyHueyNewtoninthe1960’sandbestknownasapowerfulforceinthecivilrightsandBlackPowermovements.Itshouldnotbeconfused
with themoderndayNewBlackPantherPartywhichmembersofthe originalorganizationlargelyrenounce.DespiteawidelyheldbeliefamongmanythattheBlackPantherPartywereviolent,historicallytheyimplementedawidevarietyofsocialwelfareprogramsin
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impoverishedneighborhoodsinthecountry’slargestcities.Stillanissuetoday,theywerefoundedinitiallytoaddresstopolicebrutalityagainstblackAmericans(specificallyinOakland,CA,thecityfromwhichthemovementspread)bysendingarmedgroupsofmembersouttowatchforsignsofabusebythepoliceagainsttheirfellowcitizens.1971–LibertarianParty
TheLibertarianPartyisanideologicallyprominent(ifnotelectorallyprominent)partybasedontheideaofindividuallibertyaboveall.Inpractice,thismeanstheysupportsmallgovernmentandalaissez-fairecapitalisteconomyandareagainsttaxesandregulationsonbusinesses.
TheirversionofclassicalliberalismremainspopulartodayamongstaunchproponentsoftheSecondAmendmentandmarijuanausers-infact,despitethefactthatithasnoelectoralpowerincongress,itisthethirdlargestpartyinAmericatoday.1992–ConstitutionParty
OriginallycalledtheUSTaxpayers’Party,theConstitutionPartyisaconservativepartythatsupportsstrictconstitutionalism-
thatis,thattheUSconstitutionisadocumentthatshouldbefollowedtotheletterandremainasunalteredaspossible.They
believethatanypowersnotspecificallydelineatedinsaiddocumentasdesignatedtothefederalgovernmentshouldleft
to statesorindividuals.They aresimilarinphilosophytolibertariansbuttheywerefoundedwithChristianprinciplesinmind.Thepartyisthefifthmostpopularnationwideanddespiteitsrelativeobscurityinmanyplaces,theircandidatesinthelastpresidentialelectiongarneredasurprisingamountofvotes,onceagainshowingthegrowingpopularityofthirdpartiesinAmerica.1995–ReformParty
TheReformPartywasfoundedbyRossPerotin1995afterherwonnearly20%ofthepopularvoteinthe1992presidentialelectionrunningasanindependent.Thesuccesshesawasathirdpartycandidatewasunheardof,anddespiteitsdecline,nootherthirdpartyinAmericahasgarneredtheamountofvotesinasingleelectiononthefederallevelastheReformParty
has.ThispartywasseenasareactiontoAmericanpoliticaldisillusionmentandofferedwhattheyfeltwasaviablealternativetoDemocraticandRepublicancandidates,andassuchisrelativelycentristinphilosophy.Ofnote,currentpresidentDonaldTrumpwasonceamemberofthisparty.
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2001–GreenParty
Despitevariousiterationsofthepartyanditsenvironmentalistideologybeingaroundfordecades,thecurrentpartywasfoundedin2001andisknown
generally asaleft-leaninggrassrootspartywithafocusonenvironmentalpreservation.Theyareprobablymostwell-knownforits2000presidentialcandidateRalphNaderwhowaspartiallyblamedforsplittingtheleft-wingvotebetweenhimandDemocratAlGore,allowingRepublicanGeorgeW.Bushtowintheelection.Despitethis,theyarepopularenoughtofeatureineverypresidentialelectiondespitetheirlowelectoralturnout.